30-Year-Old Custom Vending Machine

To most of our readers, it is not a secret that Japan is home to many of the world’s greatest and oddest vending machines. With over 5 million machines currently operating in the country, there are bound to be interesting innovations and unique machines.

Custom vending machines usually incorporate cutting-edge new technology or new mechanisms that allow them to do things your average vending machine would not be able to. Sometimes though, the simplest solutions are the best and a great idea is all you need to make something average stand out.

A very popular Japanese dish is curry and rice. This isn’t something your average snack machine could vend, but a small, red machine in a vending machine establishment in Japan dispenses hot servings of ready-to-eat curry and rice. The interesting thing about it is that this great vending “innovation” has been operating for almost 30 years!

The Japanese curry and rice vending machine serves vacuum-sealed packages of curry and rice that are kept warm inside the machine and the machine is operated by the man that personally grows the rice used in the machine. To ensure its freshness, the operator replaces the rice in this Japanese dispenser several times per day. Intelligent Dispensing Solutions applauds this vending entrepreneur for his commitment to delivering a unique and quality product!

Book Vending Machines Continue to Pop Up

We previously highlighted the Bibli-O-Mat vending machine in Canada, and it seems that even more book vending machines are popping up all over. Reading is a universally-loved hobby, and it seems like custom vending machines full of books are here to stay.

According to TribLive, a machine at a Pittsburgh YMCA dispenses books and DVDs from a nearby public library. The Northland Public Library uses the machine as a means of expanding their reach, allowing them to do business in a place that attracts customers from all over town.

“I think libraries are really striving to meet people where they are,” said Susan Herman, who uses the machine to find books to read to her two children. Northland is the busiest library in the area, and by extending their business to a popular YMCA they have even more potential for success.

We love hearing unique vending stories such as this one from Pittsburgh. Are you looking to be the next one? Thanks to the vending machine manufacturers at Intelligent Dispensing Solutions, you can turn any of your vending visions into a real machine that does real business. From selling merchandise after store hours to protecting valuable products, we can make the perfect machine for your company.

Interest In Unconventional Vending Machine Reaches New High

Here’s a dispatch from the files of weird vending machines. As you are probably aware, in November residents in Washington and Colorado voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The new laws went into effect in December. With the legal marijuana market, both for medicinal and recreational use looking stronger than ever, there are companies out there looking to build around big-marijuana when commodity demand reaches critical mass. And custom vending machines might be at the cutting edge of that.

Medbox, a company specializing in the automated dispensing of medical supplies, saw its shares surge 3,000% this week — from roughly $4 Monday to $215 Thursday — before falling to $100 after executives sought to dampen investor enthusiasm. Their machines are available in some states where medical marijuana is legal; however, a fingerprint scan is required to verify the patient has a prescription, but the company is working on implementing them in states for personal use.

We here at Intelligent Dispensing Solutions pride ourselves on being able to manufacture unique vending machines for any situation, within the bounds of legality, of course. While we’re still a long way away from a Bill and Ted future where cannabis connoisseurs can light up with impunity, it’s most excellent to see vending machines take advantage of any new market.

Unique Vending Machines Across the World

Here at Intelligent Dispensing Solutions, we thrive on inspiration. Our products are not built with a generic vision in mind. Rather, they are a unique interpretation of our clients’ desires, made from the best technology in the industry. With that in mind, let us take a look at some of the more unique vending machines that have popped up throughout the world.

This Toxel article highlights 17 of the most unusual vending machines around. While some of the products on the list, such as the Apple and Best Buy vending machines, are becoming more common, other vending creations are unlike anything you  have seen. Clothing company Closed created a jeans vending machine for those too impatient for retail stores, while someone invented a sock vending machine for…sock emergencies? Also highlighted are soccer ball vending machines, bicycle vending machines, and a Japanese board game vending machine, which all prove that the industry has moved way beyond sodas and snacks.

Feeling inspired yet? These are just a few examples of the endless possibilities found within custom vending machines. Contact Intelligent Dispensing Solutions about having us create a fully-customized machine for your business. You have a need. We have a solution.